POP REVIEW : THE PALOMINOS--AVANT-GARDE’S THUNDERING HERD

The Golden Palominos is a Post Modern musical magazine that offers something for every taste. A super group consisting of New York’s premier avant-garde players, conceived and directed by drummer Anton Fier, the Palominos stampede back through 30 years of the big beat to compile an aural vocabulary that includes everything from folk, blues and country to the epic pomp rock that clogged up the ‘70s.

These disparate elements hang together because the Palominos--who made their local debut Wednesday night at the Palace--perform all their material with the same ruthlessly hard hand. You get some idea of the group’s orientation when you discover that their critically acclaimed LP of last year, “Visions of Excess,” is dedicated to the late John Bonham, former drummer with Led Zeppelin. Yes, this is big, expansive, breast-beating music, but it’s tempered with the too-cool-to-blink nonchalance of blase New Yorkers.

Fourteen prestigious musicians (among them John Lydon, Richard Thompson and Carla Bley) contributed to the Palominos’ album, but all of them weren’t free to participate in the group’s debut tour. Consequently, the band employs a revolving-door tour policy; whoever’s in town shows up at the gig.

Among the eight players who made it to the Palace were Bernie Worrell (former keyboardist with Talking Heads); vocalist Lisa Herman (whose band, Longhouse, was recently signed to Warner Bros.); Chris Stamey (of the late dB’s), and guitarist Peter Blegvad, who has a cult following on the East Coast.

Regardless of who makes the gig, it is unmistakably Fier’s vision that steers this swinging ship. Former drummer with Pere Ubu, the Feelies and the Lounge Lizards, Fier--who co-writes and arranges much of the Palominos’ material--combines the haunted, slightly baroque melodic sensibility of Love (the “Forever Changes” LP in particular) with the thrashing assault of, yes, Led Zeppelin.

Michael Stipe, lead singer with Athens, Ga., sensation R.E.M., was introduced as “the cherry on top,” and rumors of his appearance probably accounted for a large portion of the packed house. Lovably enigmatic as ever, Stipe performed three songs in his inimitable style, nuzzling and mumbling around the lyrics as opposed to crisply articulating them.

Stipe may have been introduced as the group’s ace in the hole, but Wednesday’s show clearly belonged to vocalist Syd Straw, whose goofy, unpretentious stage manner lends warmth and humor to the Palominos’ imposingly ambitious profile.

What’s more, this girl sings like a dream. A whisky-throated thrush who belts out rock material in a honeyed, country twang, Straw combines the defiant individuality of Patti Smith or Exene with the sentimental earthiness of Emmylou Harris. One of the most exciting things about the Palominos is their launching the career of this very fine performer.

The show came to an abrupt, unceremonious end when fire department representatives stopped the show, claiming the dance floor was too crowded--a charge that was disputed by Palace management, who maintained the room was under capacity for the show.